


Lost in Greendale

by SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher (UglyTwinkBoi)



Category: Star Stable
Genre: M/M, horses in love, mild swearing, someone's worried about his frightened mate, spooking horse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 10:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyTwinkBoi/pseuds/SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellie's horse spooks and gets lost in Greendale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost in Greendale

Having the run of the Goldspur's horse field was great for her horses. It cost a bit for Ellie, but so long as the horses enjoyed it, it was worth every penny. Idun was kind enough to let them have the field once a month for a small fee, considering that she gave Ellie money every day for clearing weeds from the wheat fields and feeding their animals, it was a fair deal. They were even kind enough to take out their five horses and put them in with the cows and sheep down where Jacob lived.

And her new horses adored it. It was her first time taking them all to the paddock. After she had received a hefty allowance from her parents back in England, she had really fancied getting some new projects to train - so she went to Marley's; Firgrove and Fort Pinta to buy the adorable American Quarter Horses there, and had then fancied some Fjords and she hadn't seen Nanook and Sedna for a while. She had certainly bought some characters that was for sure. Some might say that she had overwhelmed herself with eight horses at once, but Ellie was resilient and stood by her decision. She saved some money on food by paying a stable girl some days anyway.

Sitting on the fence, reading her book, Ellie was oblivious to the mischievous young Alexander and Hannibal sneaking up behind her.

Megamaniac, or Heinz as he was known better, stood next to Noblefaith, or Billy as he was called, they were leaning on each other and talking quietly while the other horses grazed and cantered around. The rest of the 'herd' didn't know about their flourishing love for each other, and they were nervous to tell them, as they had heard the horror stories about horses like them. Horses who tried to court the same gender were often pushed out of herds and deemed as weird and tainted. Some horses didn't care and accepted it, but you could never tell.

Heinz pressed his nose against Billy's shoulder and breathed in his mate's lovely, musty smell. He was starting to get a little frisky, when suddenly he heard a scream of 'HIYA, ELLIE, WHAT'CHA DOIN'?!' and he panicked.

With a startled rear, clipping Billy on the side of his head with his front hoof, Heinz charged towards the Greendale forest, leaping the fence, and galloped away into the trees. His small stature saw him soon lost in the greenery, and he was out of sight.

The black Quarter horse let out a startled scream and he looked after his mate with worried eyes, charging up to the fence and rearing to try and catch sight of him. 'Heinz!' he whinnied, his worry echoing off of the very trees.

The rest of the horses were unsettled and had bucked and galloped a ring around the paddock, kicking up dust in their annoyance and shock, but they were otherwise unharmed. Bluemagic, or Merlin, wandered over to Billy and rubbed his nose on the black horse's shoulder. 'He'll be fine, Billy, he'll come back,' he said, wisely.

'I have to find him!' Billy declared, 'he'll be terrified and he could hurt himself.'

Ellie swung round to face the twins, her book dirtied on the ground. She lost it.

'YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!' she roared, leaping off the fence to stand in front of the children, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! THAT HORSE COULD HURT HIMSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE, HE COULD FALL OVER, BREAK HIS LEG, AND DIE! AND IT'LL BE ALL YOUR FAULT!' she calmed down, breathing heavily, 'it'll be all your fault...'

She turned as she felt a nudge on her lower back and looked into the expressive brown eyes of Billy, her noble, faithful horse. Not only his eyes, but his whole face bore an expression that Ellie could only describe as ' _I need to find someone I love and I need to go now, whether you'll help me or not_.'

'Get back to your parents,' the woman snapped at the two young children, who looked very guilty and put-out. 'I'll speak to them later.'

She ran to the gate and opened it, not surprised to find Billy in front of her. Picking up her tack from the railing of the fence, she hurriedly and expertly put it on the black horse. It was the finest that she had ever found; traditional Epona-style leather and design, with a soft touch and lightweight, which made for a comfortable ride both for rider and steed. Billy always looked very handsome in it to boot.

Swinging her leg over Billy's back, she walked him out of the paddock, pushing the gate shut and making sure it was locked. She saw the twins walking back to the farm and she felt a pang of guilt; she didn't want to shout at them, but they needed to know that yelling loudly around horses was not a good idea, and if they carried that habit on into later life - surrounded by horses and other animals - they could do some serious damage.

Kicking her steed's side, Ellie and Billy charged away at full speed, dodging the trees and bushes like the slalom poles down on Josh's track back home in Moorland. The Quarter horse had his head stuck up in the air, sniffing for his beloved's scent. He had found a vague trail, but he could have done with a Bloodhound at his side. He veered to the left, glad that Ellie was giving him his head, and leapt over a log.

Breathing heavily, Ellie kept her own head up for any flash of bay Quarter horse. She noticed Billy heading through the many rings of mushrooms, and she hoped that the fairies - this was Jorvik and there was magic around every corner - would help them in finding Heinz.

Perhaps it was the faint flutter of blue, green and gold sparkly balls of light in the trees, or perhaps it was Billy's advanced sense of smell, but as the pair exited the trees and trotted into the light, seeing a dead tree bowing to the wind and the drop of a cliff behind it. Ellie took a moment to appreciate the view of the castle and the Forgotten Fields below, until her eyes landed on a shivering bay Quarter horse under the dead tree.

Billy let out a joyous whinny (' _Heinz, my love, you're safe!_ ') and cantered towards the bay. He stopped and shoved his nose into Heinz's shoulder, embracing him in a horsey hug.

'Thank Aideen that you're alright,' Ellie said, reaching over an scratching her other horse behind the ears. 'Well, thanks to Billy's awesome nose.'

Taking a slow walk back to the paddock, Ellie steered her black mount through the archway of Molly's Greendale race, coming back up to the horse paddock, where the rest of her horses were standing at the fence with concerned expressions. Taking off Billy's tack, she let both horses back into the paddock and looked up the path leading to the Goldspur farm, preparing to face the music.

'Could you look after my tack, Molly?' she called to the race master.

'Sure, honey,' Molly said, smiling, 'just leave it on the fence and I'll make sure no one takes it.'

'Thanks,' Ellie replied with a grim smile.

With that, the woman set off to walk up the path. Making quick work of it, she walked over to Idun and Angus, who were staring at her with Alexander and Hannibal at their feet.

'I think you have some explaining to do, young lady,' Idun said, 'why are Alexander and Hannibal repeating swear words? And saying that _you_ were the one to yell it at them?'

Ellie swallowed hard. She explained the situation about them sneaking up behind her, yelling, and spooking her horse. She briefed what dangers could have befallen her horse in Greendale forest.

'But why did you swear?' the Goldspur matriarch snarled. Ellie glanced at Angus, to see him looking just as angry.

'I don't know, ma'am,' she began, remembering " _ma'am like barn, not mam like spam_ ", 'I lost my temper because I was so worried for my horse and simply flew off the rails. I swore because I was so angry at the twins for scaring my horse and called them the worst name I could think of - I treated them as though they were no older than you or I.'

Angus took hold of the situation. 'Well, I think that's sorted,' he said, 'although I think that you should leave the paddock-holding for a couple of months, Ellie, let things settle down.'

Ellie wanted to protest, saying that her horses needed the monthly two hours in the paddock, but decided that she didn't want any more hassle from the family. She merely nodded. 'Yes, thank you, Angus,' she said, 'if you like, I can still send the money?'

'Do as you see fit,' Idun said. 'Come on, boys, bath time.' She ushered the twins into the house.

'I am very, very sorry,' Ellie apologised, desperately, 'it's just... I can't lose this paddock lease, but I can't lose Heinz either.'

Angus held up a hand. 'I understand, Ellie,' he said, wearily, 'just don't bring the paddock up again, not until Idun says so - let her offer you the paddock.' Without letting her answer him, he walked inside the house and shut the door.

Ellie sighed and walked back down the path to her horses, who were milling around nonchalantly, Billy and Heinz snuggled up in the corner. On her way down the path, she rung the car and trailer that would take her horses back to Moorland. She picked up her book from the ground and shoved it in her backpack. She fiddled with the leather on the bridle and watched her horses, listening for the rumble of the car.

She smiled at her Heinz and Billy, who looked so adorable cuddled up like a loved-up couple. He smile grew wider and she whistled for her horses to board the trailer as it pulled up. Maybe there was going to be some rearrangement in the stable.


End file.
